Such skimming systems provided with guide elements are generally known, they are used in case of calamities, for example, for removing substances, usually chemical substances such as oil or oil-like contaminations, from the water surface on which said substances form a so-called floating layer.
A skimming system of the above type is known from EP-A-0 059 717. The skimming system that is known therefrom comprises at least one guide element that is movable relative to the floating layer. The guide element is connected by means of tow cables to the oil slick removal unit that is towed through the water by a vessel. While said unit is being towed through the water, oil is concentrated in a unit in the form of a fixed collecting box, from where the oil/water mixture is pumped into one or more storage units.
A drawback of the known system and the known method of removing oil from the water surface is that they are not always very effective in optimally removing various types of oil in practice.